There has been much discussion recently raised within the community by campaigns such as the TeenSafe Moruya Fix The Bloody Highway calling on all levels of government to have a serious look at the Princes Highway. It was more that obvious when the Premier recently visited that there was no hint of any funding for the long overdue Spine Road intersection nor for any new safety works in the Eurobodalla. While the Premier and local Member for Bega drove the Princes Highway from Sydney to Tathra and return the Premier made no comment regarding the southern section and only made comment when she became embroiled in the Shoalhaven in a stoush suggesting the government could do more for the Princes Highway in that region.
In his submission to the Draft NSW Future Transport Strategy 2056 the Eurobodalla Council Director of Infrastructure, Warren Sharpe, wrote of the Princes Highway south of Batemans Bay: “It is now a matter of urgency that the NSW Government provide the funding to realignment the Princes Highway at south Batemans Bay and provide the appropriate intersection treatment to connect to the South Batemans Bay Link Road.
"The Princes Highway between Berrima Parade, Surfside and the South Batemans Bay Link Road is the busiest section of the highway on far South Coast of NSW.” “The section of highway immediately south of Batemans Bay, known locally as the ‘mad mile’, has a devastating safety record.”
“The RMS has undertaken some interim improvements, including a reduction in the speed limit and the provision of a central median to reduce the severity of accidents.”
“This however has not reduced the frequency of accidents and when accidents do occur, it results in closure of the highway due to the limited working space now available between the central concrete medians and the protective fencing.”
“There were another two serious crashes in this location in November 2017, bringing the total over just a few hundred metres of the highway to 10 serious crashes including a fatality.”
While there are urgent works to be considered around the “Mad Mile” there is also the issue of “unfinished business” with the RMS continuing to sit on its hands and not provide the funding for the much needed intersection to the Spine Road alternate route that is all but completed with the exception of the intersection.
Director Sharpe also offered “The South Batemans Bay Link Road comes off the Princes Highway immediately south of Batemans Bay and will service an estimated $800m worth of development identified between Batehaven and Broulee along the coastal route of George Bass Drive.
“The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, and Member for Bega, Hon Andrew Constance MP secured $10 million from NSW Government for the South Batemans Bay Link Road project."
It was stated by Mr Sharpe in December 2017 that “The Minister is actively pursuing the funding required by the NSW Roads and Maritime Service to complete the works on the Princes Highway. This Link Road has now been officially named Glenella Road.
Many believe that the intersection is the responsibility of the Council and that they have already receive funding to construct it Mr Sharpe advises in his submission “To oversight this project, the NSW Roads and Maritime Services formed an alliance with Council with the following responsibilities agreed that Council would construct the South Bateman Bay Link Road (Glenella Road) from George Bass Drive to a location approximately 300m short of the Princes Highway (along the existing route of Ridge Road and the works associated with connecting the Glenella Road to Heron Road urban precinct as well as the intersection between the Glenella Road and George Bass Drive
"This then leaves the RMS to construct the realignment of the Princes Highway south from Cranbrook Road and the construction of the Princes Highway intersection and connecting road to Council’s end point"
"Council has now placed a locked gate across the western end of the by-pass road to prevent physical access to the highway until the RMS constructs an appropriate intersection."
"The $10m investment in the by-pass construction will only serve a useful purpose after the final connection is made with the Princes Highway by the RMS."
